The gentle west wind hums/ As it blows in from the lake/ Over the fields and swaying palms/ The soul songs of the waves.
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Friday, April 6, 2007

Jackfruit, the jumbo

Jackfruits. The yellow and green leaves are those of a climber. The jackfruit tree leavescan be seen on a small branch on the right side.Photo: ayanathouse.com

Which is the largest tree borne edible fruit in the world? The answer is jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) a native of India’s Western Ghats. The label ‘jack’ comes from jaca, a Portuguese adaptation of the Malayalam name chakka. To call the fruit ‘tree borne’ is an understatement. It grows on the trunk, main branches and sometimes even on exposed roots.

Jackfruit is really big. Records show that the fruit can reach a size of 90cm in length and 50cm in girth and weigh up to 36kg. Inside the fruits are large, fleshy bulbs that cover oval shaped seeds.

There are two main types of jackfruits – ‘koozha’ and ‘varikka’. In the former, the flesh is fibrous and mushy. ‘Varikka’, which is more popular, has firmer carpels that can be served as table fruit. Jackfruit has so many culinary uses that would fill a small recipe book. These include curries, breakfast food, pancakes and steamed rolls, halwa, and spreads. Delicious curries can be made even from the seeds.